Game review: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a third person action adventure game developed by Relic entertainment and published by THQ. The game, based on the tabletop miniature wargame of the same name, is set in a dystopian universe in the grim nightmare of the far future, where there is only war. In the 41st millennium, humanity is at the brink of destruction as it fights for survival against horrific aliens and demonic hordes. Players take direct control of the mighty Space Marine, a genetically enhanced super-soldier and the ultimate defender of humanity, to stop the brutal Ork invasion of a vital industrial planet.

For those already familiar with the Warhammer franchise, Space Marines is a dream come true. The sheer thrill of reducing waves of Orks into a bloody pulp as bullets ping off your armour is an unbeatable high. The controls are well executed and quite seamless as you can transition from shooting while jumping to slashing with swords without missing a beat. Unlike many other games your character is not limited to one weapon and can carry up to four different ones. This is extremely useful as it can have a specialised weapon for any scenario that is thrown at them.

Health is regained by executing a finishing move on stunned enemies; this is one of the many compelling reasons for the player to jump into melee combat now and then. Another unique feature is that your Space Marines cannot take cover; this is not a missing feature but a deliberate attempt by the game developers to retain the actual character of the Space Marines, who consider it to be a cowardly act. This kind of attention to detail can be seen all over the game as the developers tried to retain a sense of reality in the fictional universe the game is based on, which is apparent in many places when you are playing the game. One example is the movement of your character, at first you might think that the controls are sluggish and slow but it makes perfect sense once you take into account that your character is equipped with a ten ton armour.

Created on the phoenix engine, was originally made for the game Darksiders, the graphics and level design are simply stunning, doing complete justice to the Warhammer universe. As you traverse the Forge World Graia, you will encounter numerous enemies ranging from Orks to Chaos Cultists to Chaos Marines, each of whom will try their level best to annihilate you. The AI in the game is incredibly intelligent, with enemies taking cover, throwing grenades and even running back to call for reinforcements.

The game also features multiplayer play, with up to eight players on each side. There are two different game modes: Seize Ground and Death Match. Multiplayer also has a levelling mechanism, which allows your character access to better weapons and perks as you level up; this allows each and every player to have a different load out. Multiplayer mode also allows you to excessively customise your marine; you can deck him up in different armour types and can even choose what colour they are. This allows you to end up with a unique looking marine that you have made and are proud of. Owners of the game will also be rewarded with a free DLC that will allow them to play co-op mode as well. One of the only issues with the game is that the single player campaign is too short but this is made up with the wide variety of multiplayer content.

At first sight many might mistake the Warhammer universe to be a flagrant copy of other popular games like Gears of War, Halo or Starcraft but the truth of the matter is that the first Warhammer tabletop game was released in 1987, far before any current game was even born. All in all, Space Marines is a must have for all Warhammer fans and I highly recommend it.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2011.